Acetylene-gas generator.



'PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

0. W. BECK. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APiLIOATIQN rmm JAN. 9. 1901.

no MODEL.

INVENTOR CWITNESSES JHT'Ys,

ML umm: PEYERS no. PHGYU-l mm. vusuwmnm u. c.

iii). 757,196.

' UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903. I

PATnivT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. BECK, on NEW YORK, iv. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-I MEN'IS, TO ELEOTROLITE-GAS LAMP COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACjETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,196, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed January 9, 1901., Serial 110.42.585. v iNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BECK, of New York, county of New York, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in acetylene-generators, and refers more specifically to improvements in that type of generators wherein granulated or. pulveru lent carbid is fed to a generating-chamber in reg'ulated quantities.

Among the salient objects of the present invention are to providea' generator the feed mechanism of which is not only extremely simple in construction, but isat the same time particularly free from liability to become clogged either by reason of the carbid becoming lodged therein in such manner as to interrupt or interfere with the feeding operation or by reason of the carbid slaking and adhering to the feed mechanism, this latter result being chiefly avoided by preventing ac cess of the vapors of generation to thecarbid to provide a construction in which the valve member is operated by direct connection with a vibrating wall'or diaphragm which is actuated by the gas generated, and in general to provide a simplified and improved construction and arrangement of parts in a device of the character referred to. 1

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims and willbe readily comprehended from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows in axial vertical section a generator embodying my invention.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates as a whole a closed receptacle, conveniently and as shown herein in the form of an upright cylinder and comprising upper and lower members 2 and 3, respectively, separably united,

. as ate, by means of any suitable union whereby a close joint may be formed. generator-body is shown as supported some 7 distance above the floor by means of a suit- The main able base, (designated as awhole 5,) provided with legs 6, which base is so constructed as to form in conjunction with the lower end wall l 3 of the generator-body a lower closed chamber 7. Within the lower chamber 7 is arranged a movable diaphragm or partition 8,

havingits periphery secured to the side walls time secure the periphery of the diaphragm 8,

:the generator-body is conveniently provided at its lower side with a circumferential flange 10, which is externally secured thereto, to receive the correspondingly-threaded rim ll of the base. Immediately below the threaded portion of the base is formed a shoulder 12, between which and the lower surface of the flange 10 the periphery of the diaphragm is clamped when the base is securedinto engagement with the flange.

The upper member 2 of the generator-body is provided with a downwardly-convergin g or conical partition 13, which divides'theinterior of the generator-body, the space above ,said. partition constituting the carbid -'ho.pper,

while the space below said partition constitutes the generating-chamber, the lower part of which is adapted to be filled with a'body of water. At the apex of the conical hopperbottom 1 3 is formed a feed-aperture 14, which is controlled by means of avalve plug=or member 15. r

In the preferred construction illustrated the valve-plug 15 consists of a central body 16, provided with a radially-extending flexible and yieldable peripheral portion 17, which.

is of suitable diameter to fit within the conical lower end of the hopper-bottom and completely close the feed opening 14 therethrough. The valve-plug is so formed that it cannot be drawn through the discharge-opening by a normal working gas-pressure. As shown, the rigid central portion 16 is of such a diameter that the flexible peripheral portion cannot flex sufficiently to permit the valve to pass through the opening 14. Any suitable means may be employed to accomplish this which will not prevent the flexible portion. of the valve being forced against the valve-seat. It is to be understood that the entire body of the valve-plug may be made of suitable material to provide the flexible and yielding peripheral portion; but in the preferred construction shown herein said plug is of composite construction, comprising the rigid conicalshaped central body 16, the disk 17, of soft rubber, arranged to underlie said body 16 and having its periphery extending beyond the periphery of the conical body throughout the entire circumference, and a clamp-nut 1S, underlying the rubber disk 17, all three of said parts being supported and united by means of a stem 19, with which the members 16 and 18 have screw-threaded engagement. The operating rod or stem 19 extends downwardly through the generating-chamber and into the lower chamber 7 its lower end being operatively connected with the diaphragm 8 in such manner that the movement of the latter is imparted to the operating-stem to reciprocate the valve-plug to and from its seat. The pressure of the gas in chamber 7 holds the valveplug to its seat, and, as is obvious, the greater this pressure the more securely will the discharge-opening 14 be sealed to prevent the passage of carbid to the generating-ehamber. Should any carbid leak past the valve, the generation of gas would cause the "alve to be drawn to its seat with an increasing pressure until the leak of carbid were stopped.

In the construction shown washers or confining-plates 2O 2]. are arranged upon opposite sides of the central portion of the diaphragm, and the end of the operating-rod has screwthreaded engagement with said plates or washers, as indicated as 22.

In order that the liquid within the generating-chamber may be excluded from the lower gas-chamber 7, a sleeve 23 is secured to the bottom wall of the generating-e11 amber concentric with the operating-rod 19 and arranged to extend upwardly to a point well above the normal liquid-level of said chamber, and in order to prevent access of carbid or residue to said sleeve the operating-stem is provided at a point a short distance above the upper end of the sleeve with a conical defleetor 2a, which is provided at its under side with a sleeve-like extension 25, constructed to fit and telescope within the upper end of the sleeve 23, said extension forming a guide which operates to hold the valve-plu g accurately centered relatively to the feed-opening which it controls.

I11 order to afford a communication for the passage of gas from the upper part of the generating-chamber to the lower gas-chamber 7 that part of the operating-rod 19 below the deflector 24: is made hollow or of tubular con struction and gas-ports 26 27 are formed at each end which communicate, respectively, with the generating-chamber and lower gaschamber. I11 order to afford a more direct passage for the gas from the generatin g chamber to the inlet-ports 26 of the operating-rod, the guide-sleeve 25 is likewise provided with ports 28.

29 designates a coiled expansion-spring ar ranged within the sleeve or housing 23, concentrically upon the valve stem, the upper end of said spring being arranged to engage the under surface of the deflector 24, so as to exert its tension upwardly upon the valvestem, and its lower end resting in engagement with a screw-plug 30, which forms the closure of the lower end of the housing 23, through whichthe valve-stem reciprocates. By means of this construction it will be obvious that the tendency of the spring is to force the valveplug upwardly to open the feed-passage, while the pressure of gas generated acting upon the inside of the vibrating diaphragn 8 tends to force the valve-stem downwardly and to thus close the valve. In order that the valve-stem may be locked in position to hold the valve closed the lower end of the valve-stem is provided with a threaded extension 19, which is arranged to extend out through the ventopening 9 and is provided with a locking-nut 30, which may be screwed up into engagement with the under surface of the base, so as to hold the valve in closed position.

Preferably the gas generated in the generating-chamber is caused to pass through the upper part of the carbid-receptacle before being withdrawn from the generator in order that it may be dried by passing over the extended upper surface of the body of carbid within the hopper. To this end a stand-pipe 31 is arranged to communicate at its lower end with an aperture 32, formed through the conical bottom wall of the hopper, and opens at its upper end adjacent to the top wall of the generator. From the upper part of the hopper the gas is drawn off through a suitable eduction-pipe 33. 30th the hopper and generating-chamber are provided with suitable filling-apertures 333 34, respectively, each closed by a screw-plug, as 35 $36.

The operation of the device, constructed as described, is as follows: Assuming that the valve is in closed position and suitable quantities of carbid and water charged into the hopper and gen crating-chamber, respectively, the generator is brought into operation by simply screwing back the nut 30 to permit the valve-plu g to be forced open by the sprin acting upon the valve-stem, whereupon the the extreme margin of the yielding disk, thus valv'e-plug and the seat.

carbid will begin to flow down past the yielding peripheryof the valve-plug and through the feed-openin g into the generator-chamber. The gas generated in the generating-chamber fills the latter, and also passes down intothe lower expansion-chamber, and there acts to force the diaphragm downwardly against the tension of the valve-stem spring, eventually as the pressure rises drawing the valve-plug down into its tapered seat, completely shutting off the flow of carbid and effectually sealing the feed-opening. Owing to the provision of the yielding periphery upon the valve-plug and the arrangement whereby the latter works into a downwardly-tapering seat, it will be obvious that the feed-opening will be closed sufficiently to shut off the flow of carbid before the movement ofthe valve-plug is arrested, the subsequent downward movement of the valve-plug acting to compress and flex its peripheral portion into a shape conforming to the shape of the seat and at the same time causing a distinct rubbing or wiping action between the periphery .of the This feature is of great importance, since it is obvious that the stream of carbid is thereby first .cut off by permitting the feed-opening to discharge and empty itself before the further downward movement of the plug brings the latter into compressed engagement'with the seat, so that liability of particles of carbid being trapped between the plug and its seat is reduced to a minimum. This peculiar arrangement is furthermore advantageous, since it enables the valve-stem and connected gas-confining wall or diaphragm to advance a substantial distance after the flow of carbid has been interrupted, thereby providing additional room for the storing of gas generated after the feedopening'has closed. A further feature of advantage incident to this construction is that the valve-plug does not open as soon as the gas-bag begins to deflate, but only after the valve-stem has risen far enough to force the valve-plug a substantial distance away from its seat, so far as its main body is concerned, and far enough to carry the yielding periphery of the plug out of engagement with the seat against the weight of i the carbid resting thereon, and inasmuch as the carbid will tend to flex the yielding periphery downwardly as the valve-plug rises the result is that the carbid is fed forward in more distinct charges as contradistinguished from a uniformly increasing and decreasing sifting-feed.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct a carbid-feed mechanism in which a tapered valVe-plu g cooperates with a tapered seat, one of said meeting members being covered with arubber surfacing. Such a construction does not, however, embody my present invention for several important reasons-namely, it does not afford a rubbing frictional engagement between the parts, which insures that whatever carbid or residue which tends to adhere to these meeting surfaces will be wiped off, it does not afford such a flexible and yielding meeting of the parts as will permit the valve to practically plug is arranged beneath the discharge-aper-' ture and works upwardly into a down wardlyfiaring'seat, and it will be obvious that in such a construction the plug willof necessity 'close against and into a seat filled with carbid and against the downward pressure of the body of carbid instead of first cutting off the flow of carbid above and thereafter advancing downwardly into a seat .or throat which is empty.

While it is obvious that a construction embodying my invention, in which the valveplugis supported to move downwardly into itsseat, possesses important' advantages over a similar but reversed construction in which the valve member is movedupwardly, yet said latter construction would also possess substantial advantages over the construction heretofore known, and I do not, therefore,wi sh to be understood as disclaiming such a construction.

The novel arrangement of the cooperating ICC parts of the generator is a feature of importance, inasmuch as it enables me .to make an extremely compact and at the same time sim-. ple generator and is a construction capable of embodiment in any reasonable sizeas, for example, either in a small lamp for domestic purposes or in a large generator for supplying a considerable plant with light. More- IIO over, the arrangement is such that ready access may be had to any part of the generator.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an acetylene-generator the combina tion of a carbid-receptacle, provided With a discharge opening, a downwardly tapered converging valve-seat surrounding said discharge-opening,a valve-plug arranged to control said opening, provided with a'yielding peripheral portion, a generating-chamber below said carbid-receptacle, a gas -chamber below'said generating-chamber, a movable gas-wall within said gas cha1nber,'a valvestem operatively connected with said movable gas-wall and extondin g thence upwardly through the generating chamber and oper.-

atively engaging said valve-p111 g,and a spring arranged to act upon said valve-stem to normally force the valve-plug 'ope'n, su'bstan tially as described.

2. In an acetylene-generator, the combina' tion of a earbid -receptacle, provided with a discharge -opening, a downwardly-tapered converging valve-seat surrounding said disch arge-opening,a valve-plug arranged to control said opening provided with a yielding peripheral portion, a generating-chamber below said carbid receptacle, a gas chamber below said generating chamber, a movable gas -wall within said gas chamber, a valvestem operatively connected with said movable gas-wall and extending thence upwardly through the generating-chamber and operatively engaging said valve-plug, a housing surrounding that part of the valve-stem which extends through the generating-chamber to a point above the normal liquid -level therein and forming a well through which the valvestem extends, a coiled expansion-spring arranged Within said housing concentrically with the valve-stem and acting upon the latter to force it normally upward and adeflector surrounding the valve-stem and overlying the upper end of said housing or well, sub stantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-generator, the combination of a carbid-receptacle, provided with a discharge opening, a downwardly tapered converging valve-seat surrounding said discharge-opening, a valve-phi g arranged to control said opening provided with a disk-like flexible and yielding peripheral portion, a generating-chamber below said carbid-receptacle, a gas-chamber below said generatingchamber, a movable gas-wall within said gaschamber, a valve-stem operatively connected with said movable gaswall and extending thence upwardly through the generatingchamber and operatively engaging said valveplug, a housing surrounding that part of the valve-stem which extends through the generating-chamber to a point above the normal liquid-level therein and forming a well through which the valve-stem extends, a coiled expansion-spring arranged within said housing c011- centrically with the valve-stem and acting upon the latter to force it normally upward and a deflector surrounding the valve-stem and overlying the upper end of said housing or well, and guides through which said valvestem operates and whereby it is held centered relatively to the discharge-opening, substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-generator, the combination of a carbid-receptaele, provided with a discharge-opening, a downwardly-tapering converging valve-seat surrounding said discharge-openin g, a valve-plug arranged to control said opening provided with a disk-like flexible and yielding peripheral portion, a generatingchamber below said carbid-receptacle, a gaschamberarranged below said generating chamber having its interior partitioned by a movable gas-wall, a valve-stem operatively connected with said movable gaswall and extending thence upwardly through the generating-chamber and operatively e11- gaging said valve-plug, a tubular housing surrounding that portion of the valve-stem extending through the generating-chamber and rising to a point above the normal liquid-level therein, a conical deflector mounted upon the valve-stem at a point above the upper end of said tubular housing and provided with a tubular guide-sleeve arranged to telescope and feed within the upper end of said housing, a gas-passage extending longitudinally through said valve-stem provided with ports opening into the space above the normal liquid-level of the generating-chamber and into the lower gas-chamber respectively, a coiled expansion-spring arranged within said tubular housing and acting upon said valve-stem to normally force the latter upwardly and means for locking said valve-stem in position to hold the valve closed, substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene-generator the combination of a carbid-receptacle provided with a discharge opening, a downwardly tapered converging valve-seat surrounding said discharge-opening, avalve-plu g arranged to control said opening and provided with a yielding peripheral portion larger in diameter than the discharge-opening and adapted to con form to the tapered valve-seat under pressure, and means to prevent the peripheral portion of the valve from passing into the dischargeopening, when said portion has been flexed by contact with the wall of the valve-seat, a generating-chamberbelow said carbid-receptacle, a gas-chamber, a movable wall forming a part of said gas-chamber, a valve-stem operatively connected with said movable wall and em gaging the valve-plug whereby the gas-pressure will hold the plug to its seat, and means arranged to act upon said valve-stem to normally force the valve-plug from its seat.

(3. In an acetylene-generator the combination of a carbid-receptacle having a downwardly-tapered bottom wall terminating in a discharge opening, a generating chamber, means for controlling the feed of carbid to the generating-chamber comprising a valve member larger in diameter than the feedopening and located above said feed-opening Within the carbid-cham her and provided with a yielding peripheral portion adapted to conform under pressure to the downwardly-tapered bottom wall of the generating-chamber, a rigid central part above the flexible part to prevent the valve-plug passing into the discharge-opening when the flexible part has been flexed by contact with the valve-seat under normal working gas pressure, and means operated by gas-pressure for moving said valve downwardly to its seat, and means operating against the gas-pressure for raising it from its seat, whereby the valve will have a rubbing contact with the converging bottom wall of the generator and will act to stop the flow of carbid through the feed-opening be fore the valve is positively seated.

7 In an aeetylene-generator, the combination of a carbid-receptacle, a generatingchamber below the said receptacle, and means for controlling the feed of carbid to the generating-chamber, said means comprising a feedpassage having downward converging or tapering side wall portions forminga valveseat, a valve larger in diameter than the feedpassage and working to and from said seat and having a flexible and yielding peripheral portion adapted to conform under pressure to said seat, means to prevent the peripheral portion of the valve from passing into the discharge-opening when said portion has been flexed by contact with the valve-seat under normal working gas-pressure, and means for opening said valve, whereby the Valve will have a rubbing contact with its seat.

8. In an acetylene-generator, the combination of a carbid receptacle, a generating chamber below said receptacle, and means for controlling the feed of carbid to the generating-chamber said means comprising the feed-passage having downwardly-converging walls forming a valve-seat, a valve above said seat and larger in diameter than the feedpassage and working to and from said seat and having a flexible peripheral portion and a rigid central portion above the peripheral portion said rigid portion preventing the valve passing in to the discharge-opening when the peripheral portionhas been flexed by contact with the valve-seat under normal working gas pressure, and means operated by changes in gas-pressure for moving said valveto and from peripheral portion from passing into the dis-- chargeopening when said portion is flexed by contact with the valve-seat under normal working gas-pressure, a generating-chamber below said carbid-receptaole, a gas-holder in communication with the generating-chamber, a valve-operating means connected to saidmovable wall and engaging the valve-plug whereby the gas-pressure will seat the valve, and means operating against the gas-pressure to move said valvefrom its seat when the gaspressure is reduced. v

CHARLES WV. BECK.

Witnesses:

Jos. R. CRAWFORD,

F. G. B. GREEN. 

